One of our reviewers, Chantelle Ciccotosto has written a book, which we recently reviewed. We asked her to write about her inspiration for the book.
How Mermaid of the Ningaloo Reef brought Purpose, Play and Planet Together
In my decades of working as an educator, impactful narratives have been a spring board for a myriad of endless integrated learning opportunities. Crafted storytelling is a daily dialogue and it’s sparking an evolution of growth, compassion and transformation. I use my educator role to work magic from stories and guide integrated learning, writing, and other curriculum areas to empower others to transform. Through this creative quest, I am crafting the next generation of narratives while inspiring this generation to reach their potential, and discover some quieter truths turned into bold impact.
In my roles as an educator, a parent, a teacher, a writer and an author, I’ve always found the ocean to bring us emotional recovery, regulation and resilience. There’s a mirror of nature and a glass crystal ball there. It’s incredibly strong and vast — and it holds truths for the future. I look beyond the trees and our oceans are shaping the next chapter. When I wrote Mermaid of the Ningaloo Reef, I didn’t expect it would become a kind of lighthouse in my own life, guiding me back to what matters most, bringing nature stories to kids and guiding them through the new times in education, climate change and growing up.
In the powerful role that literature plays in helping young people make sense of their world, this book was born out of a deep emotional experience I’m tied too, a mix of gratitude and an understanding. My time with coastal children and military-connected families, gave me understanding of what it feels like to stretch time and make the most of memorable ocean moments together. Mermaid of the Ningaloo Reef was inspired by those moments of connection, and the adventure of my personal family time beyond the ordinary. I wanted all children and adults to feel what it’s like to be with one another in nature, to see beauty, and to experience the living world we
appreciate through literature.
When it was selected for publishing and brought into print, I felt a wave of emotions and opportunities. That moment validated not just the story, but the deep emotional work behind it. Since then, the value of the book has only ever grown. Every week, I find myself revisiting the story, not just to read, but to extend on how the ocean connects us. We dance like sea creatures, write about the ocean, measure whales and temperature, learn scientific facts, and most importantly, we talk. We dream bigger adventures with this story and it’s become more than a book to us. It’s become our hope.
What surprises me the most is the emotional depth that the story continues to unlock. For the children I work with, it brings dialogue on every day things in their learning such as talking about relationships, exploring ocean conservation, and the big surprise has been endless stories of connection to the reef that stretch out across classrooms, coastlines and communities.
This book also reminds me why I do what I do, helping young kids fall in love with literature, learn about their planet, and weave in a sense of play, purpose and possibility beyond the ordinary.
At its heart, Mermaid of the Ningaloo Reef is about hope. It’s about raising young people who are not only readers and thinkers, but also responsible citizens and environmental stewards. It’s about bridging generations between child and parent, teacher and student, past and future. Most importantly, love, responsibility and effort come together so everyone is safe to try, not alone in mistakes, and encouraged to continue doing hard things.
By Chantelle Ciccotosto
Read our review of Mermaid of the Ningaloo Reef here.
